


Follow You

by youaresunlight



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Detectives, Fluff, Happy Ending, M/M, Misunderstandings, Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-25
Updated: 2017-08-25
Packaged: 2018-12-19 21:03:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,830
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11906166
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/youaresunlight/pseuds/youaresunlight
Summary: Detectives Dean Winchester and Castiel Novak are assigned to a stakeout that’ll confine them to a hotel room for ninety-six hours. And as if it isn’t hard enough being cooped up together that long, Dean has to be head over heels for Cas and can’t stop thinking about kissing him.





	Follow You

**Author's Note:**

> The idea for a stakeout fic came to me while watching _Brooklyn Nine-Nine_. :)

Dean wishes he could look you in the eye and say, “No, I’m not in love with my best friend,” but unfortunately, his Mama raised him right and that would be acting against his conscience. Of course, he’s not about to tell the world about his feelings either, so instead he settles for something in-between, namely pretending like everything is fine.

A strategy that’s sort of failing him right now.

‘I can do this,’ he thinks to himself as he sets down his duffel on the coffee table. He reaches for the badge that’s clipped to his belt, runs his fingers over its face to provide a reminder. ‘I’m a professional. I’m a _professional_.’

“Dean,” comes a voice from the doorway, followed by footsteps muffled by the carpet. “Let’s get the equipment set up first. Captain wants an update within the hour.” 

“Sounds good to me,” Dean says a little too upbeat, mostly in an ironic attempt to sound normal. God, it’s been five minutes and he’s already screwing up. He has no idea how he’ll last four days. “So, we’ve got, um, binoculars, night vision goggles- Hey, d’you have the computer? I don’t see it in here.” 

“Yup,” Cas lifts his bag, arm flexing in all kinds of stupid hot ways. Dean clears his throat and has to look away, focus his attention on their gear instead. 

“How should we do this?” he asks eventually, unfolding a tripod to place by the window. “Maybe both of us on watch till nine o’clock, then take turns for eight-hour shifts?” 

“Works for me,” Cas fetches the camera and walks around the sofa to stand beside Dean. The clean, subtle scent of his aftershave makes Dean want to bury his face in his neck. 

Exactly the opposite of professional. 

“You ever done a stakeout this long?” Dean asks, taking the camera from Cas to secure on the tripod. He and Cas have been partners for almost three years, their longest stakeouts twelve hours at the most. 

“Yeah, six days at my old precinct.” Cas laughs at the memory. “We were ready to chew each other’s head off by the end of it, but then the circumstances weren’t as pleasant.” He waves at their general surroundings and Dean grins, nudging Cas’ shoulder. 

“It wasn’t a boutique hotel like this one?” 

“No, it was a condemned hotel, actually.” Cas smiles and opens the laptop, booting it up and watching the screen. “But I also meant the company,” he adds more quietly. “The company is better this time.” 

“Oh,” Dean blinks at his hands, which seem to have forgotten how to function entirely. He manages a laugh that sounds a bit strained while fighting the heat creeping over his neck. “Don’t speak too soon, man,” he mumbles, pink-cheeked. “You could get real tired of me in ninety-six hours.” 

He then hedges a glance at Cas, only to find him staring, expression soft. 

“We’ll see,” Cas shrugs one shoulder, and the moment’s gone, tension dissipated. 

Dean tears his eyes away to avoid watching Cas go through with his work. He’ll soon get that intense look of concentration that Dean is hopelessly attracted to, and it’s one thing to be _assigned_  a stakeout with Cas, but another to actively make it worse for himself. 

“By the way, I meant to ask,” Castiel says after a beat. “Are you okay with the, ah, the one bed?” 

“The what?” Dean’s stomach jumps as he follows Cas’ gaze to the other side of the room. Oh, shit, the king size bed. The _only_ bed. How did he not notice? 

“We needed the best vantage point, so I guess no one checked on the… other details.” 

“Right,” Dean nods, eyes fixed on the bed. _This doesn’t have to be weird, Dean_. _Don’t make it weird!_ “Uh, well, it’s not like we’ll be sleeping together- I mean, sleeping in it… _on_ it together, so.” Real smooth. “It’s fine, um. I think it’s fine.” 

“Right,” Cas echoes, somewhat absently, before busying himself with an unopened suitcase. 

Dean looks at Cas then over at the bed, with its fluffy white pillows and towel swan. 

Four days in a hotel room with Cas. 

Dean tries his best to breathe. 

Yeah, he could do this.

 

◇ ◇ ◇

 

The truth of the matter is, Dean wasn’t prepared to meet someone like Cas. Never really possessed the proper defenses against those ocean-deep eyes and handsome smile. He’d also never met someone so earnest, so genuine and without pretense, and for the first time since maybe _Sam_ , Dean could bare his soul to another person. 

That’s probably why they make such great partners – that underlying trust that can’t be faked. Charlie up in I.T. likes to call it ‘profound,’ but the word just makes Dean feel about ten degrees hotter.

He supposes the upside of Cas being his best friend is that the stakeouts aren’t ever boring. Even the stretches of silence between conversations are comfortable ones, rather than awkward. 

The first shift is uneventful, which is expected, given their timeline. “Hey, it’s nine,” he says to Cas, who’s behind him brewing a fresh pot of coffee. The aroma creates an illusion of morning, though the sun has long set behind the city’s skyline. The lights are also dimmed to obscure their presence, casting the room in relative darkness. 

“Already?” Castiel laughs, swirling a spoon in the coffee he just poured. He’s added two sugars and two half-and-halves and the mug is steaming when he brings it to Dean. “This stakeout’s just flying by.” 

“Ugh, stop being so cheerful,” Dean accepts the cup gratefully, moaning around his first sip because it’s _perfect_ and missing the pained noise that rumbles out of Cas. “Thanks, you’re the best,” he sighs contentedly, trying to drink slowly and not burn the roof of his mouth. “Get some rest, I’ll wake you up. I promise not to eat all the snacks while you’re out.” 

“Yeah, you better not,” Cas says playfully, walking backward to the duffel sitting open on the dresser. He rummages inside for a change of clothes then heads to the bathroom, calling over his shoulder. “You want to wash up before I shower?” 

“Sure, I’ll be right there.” 

Double checking the equipment from sheer force of habit, Dean rises up from his chair and stretches his arms over his head. He feels a couple of pops along his back, realizing just how long he’d been sitting down. 

Thinking he ought to stay standing for a little while, Dean goes to find his toothbrush, buried deep inside his bag. When it doesn’t turn up, he figures maybe he’d already dug it out when he took out his clothes, and he mindlessly walks to the bathroom, sees the door slightly ajar and pushes it open. 

“Hey, have you seen my toothbru…” he freezes, “… brush?” 

Cas is standing by the sink, toothbrush hovering in his hand, halfway to his mouth. His shirt is also crumpled in a ball on the floor and those jeans are hanging kind of dangerously low on his hips. He raises an eyebrow when Dean stays silent, pointing at a clear travel case on the counter. “Is it in there?” he keeps their gaze until Dean turns red and drops his eyes to the floor. 

“Y-yeah,” Dean replies stupidly, wondering how he can get out of this one. Thankfully, Cas doesn’t tease him about it, and instead moves aside so Dean can use the water. 

But what’s worse is when he reaches for a towel, because as posh as this hotel is, the bathroom’s too small for two six-foot men who require some semblance of personal space. Well, actually, _Cas_ couldn’t care less about personal space – never really has – but for Dean, his arm brushing Cas’ naked chest is a tad bit more than he can handle right now. 

He also can’t help but notice, because his brain is his nemesis, just how tan Castiel has gotten with his outdoor runs in the east coast summer. It makes the tattooed text below his ribcage a little less obvious, more grey than black, while still succeeding to draw attention to the sharp cut of his gorgeous hipbones. 

Damn it, he needs to stop staring. 

“Dean,” Cas tilts his head, looking like he’s already called Dean’s name more than once. 

“Huh?” Dean clutches his toothbrush. He should’ve just waited till Cas was done. 

“I said you missed a spot,” Cas smiles gently as he takes a step closer. He lifts a hand to the corner of Dean’s mouth and dabs away a bit of toothpaste. “Didn’t take you for a slob.” 

“Yeah, says the guy who throws his clothes everywhere. Where do you think we are? A hotel?” Dean huffs. 

Castiel laughs, a low, warm sound that Dean practically feels right down to his toes. 

“Anyway, I’ll let you, um…” Dean gestures vaguely toward the shower. “I’ll get out of your hair.” 

He could dig himself a hole to hide in while he’s at it.

 

◇ ◇ ◇

 

They trade shifts around 4am, with a groggy Dean falling into bed and burrowing happily in the sheets. He sleeps deeply and dreamlessly for the next five hours before waking up for breakfast with Cas, just a couple of granola bars they’d packed with their gear but the coffee’s fresh and he can’t complain. 

Neither of them needs eight hours of sleep to function, so there are times between their shifts where they’re sitting side by side, on watch together. Sometimes they talk about random things, like the cat café that opened in Brighton or if any good movies are out. Other times, they relish the quiet – something of a luxury back at the precinct. 

It’s during one of these lulls that Cas’ cell chirps, the sound cracking through the air and jarring them both. Dean virtually jumps about a foot in the air, muttering “ _Jesus_ ” as he rubs at his eyes. 

“Sorry,” Cas fishes for his phone. “It’s Alfie,” he taps on his screen. 

“Doesn’t he know about the stakeout?” Dean mutters under his breath. Alfie’s new to their precinct. Follows Cas around like a puppy. 

“He does, but I told him to text me if he had any questions about paperwork.” 

“He likes you, you know,” Dean says, the words tumbling out before he can stop them. 

“I hope so. He’s only been here a month.” 

“No, I mean, he _likes_ you,” Dean stresses petulantly. “You should see the kid, man. He’s crushing on you.” 

“Oh?” Cas quirks a smile, leaning back in his chair. “I hadn’t noticed.” 

“Well, no one’s surprised by that. Those kinds’a things go right over your head.” 

Cas’ smile widens, blue eyes twinkling. “Not always,” he hums thoughtfully. 

Dean chokes on his soda, heaving so suddenly that Cas reaches over to thump him on the back. 

“You alright?” Cas frowns in concern, though it fluidly slips back into amusement because he’s an infuriating bastard. “Are you jealous, Dean?” he chuckles lightly. “Come on, you know you’re my one and only.” 

“Shut _up_ ,” Dean croaks through the coughing while Cas just laughs like it’s all hilarious.

 

◇ ◇ ◇

 

They’re watching the sun rise on day three of their stakeout when Castiel asks, “Did you see Jesse’s email?”

Dean looks at him, a bit thrown by the non-sequitur. “You mean the one where he rubbed his picture-perfect life in our faces? Yeah.” 

Cas smiles, faint and wistful. “Raising horses must be going well for them.” 

“Must be,” Dean watches his partner, trying to decipher him. “Hey, everything okay?” 

“Yeah, it’s fine, I just…” Cas rubs at his jaw, implausibly good-looking in the buttery morning light. “It made me think about what it’d be like… to settle down with someone on the force.” 

“Oh,” Dean feels a little breathless, heart beating wildly, so loud inside his chest. 

“I mean, Cesar and Jesse decided to leave the BPD, but… They never hid their relationship and their precinct didn’t care. It was just the norm, just another couple.” Cas shakes his head, expression unreadable. “I guess it’s different for everyone though.” 

“I did ask once,” Dean confesses softly, hands tightening around the mug now cooling in his lap. “It was at some department thing, end-of-the-year party or whatever. It was the first time I realized they were together and I asked- I asked Cesar what it’s like.” 

“And?” Cas meets his eyes, swathing Dean’s world in a palette of blue. 

“He said it’s smelly and dirty,” Dean huffs a laugh. “And twice the worrying about getting hurt.” 

“So, naturally, they bought a ranch, which definitely isn’t smelly or dirty.” Cas sounds fond and there are crinkles by his eyes. “But at least they’re safer. Have some peace of mind.” 

“Would you ever leave the force?” Dean blurts out the question. “Not to retire, but… like Cesar and Jesse did?” He tries to imagine Cas leaving one day, to go tend to birds or keep bees or what have you. He tries to imagine working with someone else and finds that he _can’t_. It has to be Cas. 

“I don’t know,” Cas says honestly, turning back toward the window. “I guess it would depend.” 

“On?” Dean knows he’s pushing, but all he can think is, ‘Don’t go. Don’t leave me.’ 

“On the person I’m with,” Castiel replies. “It would have to be something we decided together.” 

And yeah, that’s the thing about Cas. Reliable and _good_ , just giving and giving. He’d do anything for the person he loves, walk through Hell and back if they asked him to. Dean wonders if Cas knows how special he is, how much he means to Dean, how he changed Dean’s life. 

If he has any idea just how much Dean loves him. 

So much it’s hard to breathe sometimes.

There’s a shift in the air he can’t explain, a layer of tension, thick and stifling. It makes Dean squirm because it’s never been this awkward with Cas before, and he regrets not relinquishing this assignment to Jo and Anna instead. 

The mounting strain is soon interrupted when the phone goes off with a call from the precinct, and it’s a testament to their longtime partnership that their captain doesn’t suspect any problems between them. “Lafitte and Henricksen will relieve you on Monday. Don’t worry about reporting back here. Just go home. I’ll see you on Tuesday.” 

“Yes, sir,” Dean answers for them both, keeping his voice as level as possible. The captain would be able to tell if something were off, Dean wouldn’t know how to even begin explaining himself. 

“Novak,” the captain says, “you doing okay cooped up with Winchester?” 

By some miracle, Cas cracks a smile and Dean hardly cares that it’s at his expense. But then he says, “Hanging in there, Captain,” all serious as a heart attack, and Dean  _has_ to shove him because wow, what an ass. 

“Detective Novak is sleep-deprived, Captain. He’s incoherent,” Dean explains helpfully. 

“I only need four hours,” Cas interrupts, throwing Dean a smug look. “I slept for six last night.” 

“You’re the _worst_ ,” Dean hisses at him, but deep down he’s relieved the tension’s gone. He barely hears their captain say something placating, like an exasperated parent dealing with two kids caught tugging on each other’s pigtails during a playdate.

 

◇ ◇ ◇

 

Eighty hours into their stakeout, there still haven’t been any notable developments. It gets to the point where Dean starts chanting “use the drop site” like a fucking mantra. 

“You know I always trust Jo’s recon, but… I mean, this is ridiculous. Where the hell are they?” 

“We did technically plan for eight days,” Cas runs a hand through his hair, visibly exhausted. His hair is a mess, still damp from his shower, and the white t-shirt he’s wearing sticks to the front of his chest. 

“You’re so distracting,” Dean sighs like it pains him. He’s tired and should probably stop talking but it’s like the strings between his brain and his mouth have been cut. 

Cas freezes mid-stretch, then blinks. “I’m distracting?” 

“Yeah, you and that _shirt_ and the...” 

“It’s never bothered you before,” Cas accurately points out. 

“I’ve never been cooped up with you before,” Dean argues. 

“We’re on duty, Dean,” Castiel says, as if Dean were unaware of the fact. “Maybe it’d be better if I take this next shift. You should get some sleep,” he moves to stand up. 

“Don’t do that,” Dean rises to follow. “You always _do_ that. You always…” he bites his lip, throat closing up. 

“Do what?” Cas levels their gaze, calm and steady. Aggravating. 

“I tell you everything, Cas. You let me _vent_ and complain and you listen. But when it comes to something that’s bothering you, you just wait for it to pass without talking to me. And I know something’s up, okay? The whole thing with Jesse? Cesar? _Leaving_? And let’s not forget how unaffected you are, while I’m over here _pining_ like some idiot.” 

Dean can feel his eyes beginning to sting, and his jagged laugh hurts on its way out. 

“What do you mean ‘unaffected’?” Cas’ face looks stormy. “God, you have no idea what you’re talking about, Dean.” 

“ _I_ don’t?” Dean takes a step closer, shoulders braced and his hands in fists. “I’m the one constantly guessing what the hell you’re thinking! Meanwhile, you just let those rookie detectives bat their eyelashes-” 

“And whose fault is that,” Cas cuts him off. 

His face is so shuttered that Dean deflates, hands falling helplessly at his sides. “Never mind,” he murmurs softly, returning to the window. “We’ll talk later.” 

Few could understand how horrible it feels to be the same room right after a fight, knowing that they’re both on duty for sixteen more hours with nothing to say to each other. Bela had warned him, when Cas joined their precinct, that crushing on your partner was a terrible idea: “More often than not, it’ll blow up in your face, so either request a new partner or get over him.” 

Dean, of course, did neither of those, and now he’s left with the messy aftermath of his poor life choices. 

He tries occupying himself with the night vision goggles, though he can hear Cas puttering around the room, his footfall slow and tired. There’s the rustle of bedsheets and a series of beeps – Cas setting the alarm for their final trade in shifts. With his gaze focused outside, Dean waits for Cas’ breathing to even out, but only catches signs of him tossing and turning, seemingly as restless as Dean feels himself.

 

◇ ◇ ◇

 

Dean awakes to the sound of new voices filling the room. _Vic and Benny_ , he thinks sleepily. He and Cas had traded places a couple hours before dawn, moving past each other silently, two shadows in the dark. 

“Hey, Winchester!” Victor nudges his cheek. “Wake up, sunshine!” 

Dean groans into his pillow. 

He gasps when Benny walks up and pulls the duvet off in a flourish, immediately assuming the fetal position and cursing back, “Ugh, fuck you guys.” 

“Love you, princess,” Victor laughs. “Come on, get out of here. Cas is ready to go.” 

Dean blinks his eyes open at the mention of Cas, whom he sees near the small kitchenette, head bent in conversation with someone on his cell. There are two duffels packed and piled by his feet, one of which Dean recognizes as his own. A part of Dean wonders if he’d dreamt their argument as he drags himself up and out of the bed. 

“Your toothbrush is still in the bathroom,” Cas says, lowering his phone when Dean walks past him. “I also, um, left out some clothes if you want to change, but Anna’s downstairs with a car to take us home.” 

“Oh,” Dean peeks down at himself. “Thanks, I, um… Thanks for packing for me.” 

“You’re welcome,” Cas replies, eyes earnest and sad. 

Dean’s heart clenches at the sight. 

He only needs a few minutes to brush his teeth and splash his face to wake himself up. He forgoes changing for a BPD hoodie and a pair of thick socks Cas had put by the sink. He might look a bit ridiculous in his flannel pants, but is honestly too tired to care. Cas, on the other hand, has bothered to put on jeans, but the stubble along his jaw is more than a day old. 

“Morning!” Anna calls, leaning against a Prius as red as her hair. She pops the trunk for them to store their duffels and hugs them both before sliding into her seat. “Just your place, Dean?” she turns on the engine, meeting Dean’s eyes through the rearview mirror.

“Um,” Dean glances at Cas, who’s sitting up front. “Actually, we-” 

“Dean’s place is fine,” Cas answers for him. 

Anna raises an eyebrow as she also looks at Cas. “Oh-kay,” she backs the car out. “Guess I shouldn’t ask,” she adds with a shrug. Luckily, she fills the silence with Spotify and is tactful enough not to say anything. 

She pulls up to the curb outside Dean’s modest brownstone, lets both of them thank her before telling them, “Be good, kids” before driving away. 

Dean watches her car disappear around the corner, then turns toward Cas, who is still not quite meeting his eyes. “You, um… want to come in? I’m kinda sick of coffee but… I have orange juice.” 

A barely-there smile appears on Cas’ lips. “No, I’ll grab an Uber. I just figured it’d be easier for Anna if she dropped us off here. Save some time.” 

“Right,” Dean hunches against the breeze, shoves his hands inside his pockets, not sure how to phrase this. “Can I ask you something, Cas?” he says, which is a start. 

“Of course,” Cas says. 

And his voice is so gentle, despite everything, so indulgent that Dean crumples, right there, on the fucking sidewalk in broad daylight. 

“Are you breaking up with me?” he asks, and god, saying it out loud is so much worse. It’s like a fist grabbing onto his heart and twisting it and _twisting it_ until it breaks. 

Cas, in the meantime, looks dumbfounded.

“What?” he rushes over to Dean, grabs him by the shoulders. “Why would you say that?”

“‘Cause I’m a fucking handful and you deserve better?” Dean barks a laugh but it comes out strangled. “Cas, you deserve someone who won’t pick fights over stupid shit. Who you won’t get _sick_ of after ninety-six hours and make you lose sleep and ruin everything.” 

“Who said I was sick of you?” Cas cradles Dean’s cheek in the palm of his hand. It’s so warm and loving and protective and Dean can hardly stand it. 

“You said you’d leave.” 

“Dean…” Cas shakes his head, thumb stroking Dean’s cheekbone. “Dean. Sweetheart.” 

“You said you wanted to…” _leave me_ , Dean’s brain supplies. And _those_ words, he just can’t bear to voice. 

“Dean,” Cas murmurs again. “For someone so smart, you can be a real dumbass.” 

“What?” Dean blinks at him. It’s sort of the last thing he expected Cas to say. 

“What was my answer when you asked me, Dean? When you asked if I’d ever leave the force like Cesar and Jesse?” 

“… That it would depend,” Dean murmurs softly. 

Cas smiles. “On what?” he asks. 

Dean feels a blush blooming under his skin. “On the person you’re with,” he lowers his eyes, but Cas doesn’t let him look away this time, tipping his head forward to keep their gaze locked.

“The person I’m with,” Cas finds his hand, linking their fingers. “Dean, I love you.” 

“Cas…” Dean breathes, wondering if he’d mistaken what he just heard. 

But- 

“I love you,” Cas says once more, pulling Dean close in a tight embrace. “I’ll only leave if that’s what you want. That’s all I meant, Dean. Okay? I swear.” 

Dean buries his face in the crook of Cas’ neck, clutching Cas’ shirt and letting it ground him. “I’m sorry,” he mumbles harshly, breathy-wet and pleading, slightly desperate. “I just- We were on that assignment and- It almost felt like I was the only one who wanted…” 

Castiel pulls back at that, eyes wide and dark. Disbelieving. “That’s what you meant by me being unaffected? Do you have any idea how much I wanted to kiss you?” He rolls his eyes but it’s only fond, coming close to press his lips to the corner of Dean’s mouth. “It was torture,” he confesses roughly. 

“Yeah?” Dean blushes all over. 

“If we weren’t on duty…” Cas trails off, hand tightening on the side of Dean’s hip, hot and possessive. Dean can’t hide the shiver that runs down his spine, and is fairly mortified by how stupid he’d been. “I couldn’t give in,” Cas says against his cheek. “If we messed up the stakeout because of me… If they split us up…” he sounds miserable. “They could hold our relationship over us, Dean. I couldn’t let that happen. I never will.” 

Dean wraps his arms around Cas’ shoulders and wonders how he got somebody like Cas. “I love you,” he says and means it. He’ll do everything in his power to keep him.

 

◇ ◇ ◇

 

The following morning, Dean reports to work and heads straight to the captain’s office in the back of the floor. He subconsciously smoothes down the front of his shirt, bouncing on his feet like a nervous little kid. 

“Detective Winchester,” the captain smiles, glancing up from a file to wave him inside. 

Dean doesn’t reply till he reaches the desk and takes a deep breath. “Dad,” he says.

John looks surprised at Dean’s response. They hardly ever cross the professional line at work. “Is something wrong, Dean?” he leans forward, appearing ready to jump out of his chair. 

Dean nods quickly, so he won’t worry. “Yeah, I just really need to tell you something.” 

John relaxes slightly, though not completely. “Alright,” he gestures for Dean to sit. 

Dean takes a seat in the chair that’s closest and takes another breath, heart thumping fast. “I wanted to tell you that, um…” he pauses, “that Cas and I… We are… dating.” 

He valiantly maintains eye contact and waits for any sort of reaction from his father, who simply watches him for a while. The room totally silent aside from the clock. 

“Okay,” John finally says. “Did this develop during the stakeout?” 

“No, um…” Dean flushes a bit. “We’ve been dating for a while… A year, actually.” 

“And you’re telling me this now because…?” 

“Because you’re my dad? And… our captain? You’re our boss?” What is happening? 

“So, you’re expecting me to be surprised,” John speaks slowly, voice sounding strained – like he’s killing himself trying not to laugh and Dean can feel his mouth drop open in shock. 

“You _knew_?” he demands. “Since _when_?” 

“Dean, I may be old, but I still have eyes.” 

“But I-” Dean can’t stop spluttering. “You never said anything!” This is utter betrayal. 

“Your mom told me not to,” John shrugs easily, “and as for Sam, he thought it’d be funny.” 

“I’m gonna _kill_ him,” Dean says furiously. “Do you know how _hard_ Cas tried-” 

“To protect you? I do know, and I’m impressed.” John leans back with a smile, “He’s a good kid.” 

Dean can’t help but feel proud. “Thanks, Dad.” 

John nods and adds nothing more, but that small gesture was all Dean needed. “Is there anything else, Detective?” he asks. 

“No, sir,” Dean moves to stand up. 

It’s not until he reaches the door that his father calls, prompting him to turn around. 

John clears his throat, fingers twirling a pen. “We’ll need to have you both over for dinner this weekend.” 

And with that, any remaining anxiety leeches out of Dean’s body, and a smile breaks across his face. “I’ll call Mom,” he says happily.

 

◇ ◇ ◇

 

It turns out that not a single person is surprised by their relationship. All their worries had been for naught, but their time together now is sweeter for it. Jesse and Cesar’s response has to be Dean’s favorite, something along the lines of, “We fucking called it.” It comes with an open invite to New Mexico. “A double date,” according to Cesar.

“What do you think about raising horses?” Dean asks over breakfast one Thursday morning. “I think you’d look hot in a cowboy hat. Some boots while we’re at it. Dirt on your face.” 

“You just want to get me dirty,” Castiel laughs, crowding Dean against the island to kiss him deep. He carefully licks his way into Dean’s mouth and Dean practically melts, all pretty and pliant. 

“When do we have to leave?” Dean bites at Cas’ lip. 

“Now,” Cas chuckles when Dean whines. “That cowboy idea has some merit, but I think raising horses can wait a bit.” He slides a hand down the front of Dean’s shirt to the badge on his belt. “Come on, Detective.” 

Dean laughs, breathless and pleased, and gladly follows his partner – in all senses of the word – out the door.

**Author's Note:**

> [Rebloggable link here](http://puppycastiel.tumblr.com/post/164607478075/deancas-follow-you) (please share if you enjoyed the fic!)
> 
> Thanks for reading as always, and do leave me kudos, comments, and love! :)


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